Learning Through Conservation

The word of the day in our home lately is conservation.

Now that we’ve been housebound for almost two weeks, it’s interesting (and a little embarrassing) to realize the things we normally take for granted, like how much toilet paper or milk or eggs we have, or the ability to jet out to the store for sugar when you realize you don’t have enough to make the frosting for your husband’s birthday cake (yes, this happened to me yesterday)!

Early last week I was taking stock of our supplies to determine if I needed to make a Wegmans run. We were low on milk, eggs, and fresh fruit and vegetables—things we typically eat in abundance. I was nervous to go to the store, though, for obvious reasons and the thought of potentially bringing something home to my family, especially since my son was already showing signs of a cold (thankfully this never turned into anything, so it may have just been allergies). At the time, I decided we could hold off another week if I simply rationed everything out. So, that’s what I began to do. (Full disclosure: I did end up going to Wegmans at the end of last week because I was concerned the government might close grocery stores and I knew our supplies wouldn’t last long. But, that has not stopped me from continuing to conserve. I’m all about it now. Lesson learned.)

And it suddenly dawned on me how spoiled we are. I used to think nothing of loading up on groceries, having a stocked fridge/freezer and pantry, and never wanting for a specific ingredient when choosing what to make for dinner each night. Now, though, it’s a whole new ballgame. Now I’m conserving. Less milk in our coffee and cereal, fewer ingredients in our homemade meals (maybe I use three carrots in our chicken soup instead of four), one less scoop of coffee beans in our morning brew (this one kills me, admittedly, LOL), fewer recipes that call for eggs, portioned servings of fruits and vegetables and meats, bigger meals—yes, even with fewer ingredients—that stretch to two dinners and one lunch or even two lunches and one dinner (we’re big on leftovers so this is nothing new for us, but it definitely puts things into perspective when you need to extend your supplies, as we do now).

But it’s not just about the food. We’re conserving in other ways, too. Those paints and canvases I recently bought for my daughter? I’m trying to help her understand why we should use only one canvas per week and only the amount of paint she needs for her picture. The lights in our home and the water in our showers? I’m teaching my kids that electricity and water aren’t free (this is not a new lesson, but the priority is higher now). That mommy and daddy have to pay for them and there’s no reason to turn on every light in the house or take 30-minute showers every day (which my crazies would do if I didn’t cap them!). Even the iPads and screens. They’re allowed to watch the iPads in the morning before schoolwork and then a little TV at night before bed. I want them to know how important it is to disconnect as much as possible. To conserve our energies for more important things, like learning, reading, using our imagination, riding bikes, going for a walk, doing a puzzle, playing a game together, coloring or painting or crafting.

As crazy as it sounds, I’m happy this quarantine happened—for a lot of reasons, not just because it’s forcing us to conserve. For one, I’ve never written so much in my life. I have no idea where the ideas are coming from, but every morning when I wake, some sort of inspiration hits and I find myself typing away. For someone who had been living in fear of writing for months (don’t ask me why), that’s a true miracle. And one I’m grateful for every day because it’s compelled me to live for the silver linings.

Two, it’s brought me closer to God. I’ve been praying like a lunatic, every morning before I get out of bed, every night with my husband, and at random times throughout the day when those (thankfully fleeting) moments of despair and anxiety hit and I just need a little consolation. I’ve never really been a spiritual person and I have my own personal issues with the Church, but I do believe in God, and knowing he is always there to listen fills me with peace. And that’s something we need more than ever right now.

Three, my family has slowed down immensely. We’re playing outside more—walking, flying kites, playing ball, going on a scavenger hunt. My husband and I are baking and cooking to our hearts’ content. Oh, and playing Scrabble, which we used to do a lot but then suddenly had no time for! My kids are crafting and coloring up a storm—I honestly can’t believe how good my 4-year-old has become at staying in the lines. We’re reading more and talking more and really enjoying each other’s company. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still always ready—oh boy am I ready!—for 8 p.m. bedtime to roll around, but I’m honestly cherishing the quality family time. And I know that when I reflect on this experience years from now, I’ll look back fondly on how we took some of the sourest lemons life gave us and made something resembling lemonade (if you watch the show, you know that’s a shout-out to Dr. K on This Is Us!).

Four, we’re keeping in closer contact with our families than ever before, especially me because normally I despise talking on the phone. LOL. But now I crave the connection, the laughter, the solidarity. And I love being able to see my nieces a few times a week. 😊 I’m so thankful for the amazing Zoom software!

And finally, I’m learning that we—meaning my family—don’t need half the things we think we do. (My daughter, who’s on the floor next to me writing her sight words on pieces of construction paper for me to hide around the house, just said to me: “But I don’t want to waste tape.” Clearly, she’s learning too!!) Yes, of course we need food and electricity and water and even phones, computers, and TV. (I don’t know how we ever lived without Netflix!!) Well, maybe need is too strong of a word. Let me rephrase and say it’s nice to have these things and I’m glad that we do, most of the time anyways. But we are ginormous gluttons regarding the conveniences we have today. And it needs to stop because it’s destroying our humanity, our compassion, and our relationships—with the planet, with the world, and, most importantly, with each other.

One of the things I’ve been praying for repeatedly is that we, our society, learn something from this horrible, debilitating, constricting virus (and the accompanying quarantine) and change our ways for the good of everyone across the globe. We need to find a better way forward—together as a united front—before it’s too late.